Apparatus for scribe-marking package products



Aug. 24, 1954 G C. SANFORD APPARATUS FOR SCRIBE-MARKING PACKAGE PRODUCTS Filed Sept. 11, 1952 George CSan/fofd 3:;

W M A jmw l with wrapped or packaged Patented Aug. 24, 1954 APPARATUS FOR SCRIBE-MARKING PACKAGE PRODUCTS George C. Sanford, RustonpLa. Application September 11, 1952, SerialNo.309,123

3 Claims.

This invention relates -'to a scribing apparatus for scribing markings such as lines or the like upon a predetermined portion or area of an article. More particularly, this inventionrelates to a scribing apparatus for marking a predetermined portion of a label for'afood packageor a Wrapped bakery article to providethe label with significant packaging data.

It is very desirable to provide a method and means for marking the labels or packages for products, the age of which is of interest to the user, in such a manner as to indicate significant packaging data to anyone knowing the marking system. Such products include, for example, foods, pharmaceuticals, film supplies, and chemicals. For example, by practicing this invention it is possible to mark a wrapped loaf o'f bread in sucha way as to indicate to anyone knowing the marking system the date of packaging. Various other data may bemarked on such packaged oods, either alone or in combination with other data.

It has been proposed 'to employ scribing devices inapplying markings topredetermined portions or areasof articles. One such scriber is shown in United States Patent "No. 1,979,744 wherein there isdisclosed ascriber for applying a linear mark toa shingle. Thisapparatus is limited, by virtue ofits structure. to the application disclosed bythe patentee andis not adaptable for scribing labels and like articles employed materials which deteriorate in storage. It is also known in the art to place code markings directly on the wrapper of a packaged food orbakery product, but "such means require comparatively complicated or expensive equipment. It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide an improved, simple, and inexpensive scribing apparatus for scribemarking packaged-products such as bread, pharmaceuticals, film supplies and .chemicals in such a manner as to indicate significant packaging data.

.Aiurther obj ect of this invention ,is to provide ascribing device adapted .for use with packaging or wrapping machines, whichscribing device includes an element for guiding labels or like articles alongaffixed path, .anda scribermarker which may .be selectively :positioned at a 'predetermined point between the marginal edges of the guided moving label or the like.

A still further object is to provide .a scribing device for labels :or the like which includes a bedwforisupporting labels, iguidelmeans associated therewith for guiding the labels in a "fined path,

12 p pressure means for confining the labels within the guide means and a rotary scribing element which may be selectively pos'itioned'ona-support extending transversely with respect to the fixed path of the labels.

The above objects and the novelfeaturesof my invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description-and accompanying drawings showing one embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings, wherein like numeralsdesignate like parts in the several views:

Figure l is a top plan view ofa scriber constructed according to my invention mounted on a packaging machinepf which "only-a fragmentary part is shown. iragmentary section of a strip of labels threaded through the scriber is indicated in broken lines.

Figure 2 is a side elevation Figure l.

FigureB is a partialsection substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, slightlyenlarged, and with one trunnion bearing shown in section along a vertical plane throughits axis.

Figure 4 is a slightly enlarged partial section through the lined-4 of Figure 1.

of the device of Figure 5 shows a typical bread label with a scribed mark across it made in accordance with my invention.

Referring now to the clrawings, the numeral l0 designates generally a scribingdevice mounted on an automatic bread packaging machine H which is indicated only bya fragmentary .part, but which includes wrapping mechanism, label applying means, and label supplying means. In machines of this type labels may he ied or supplied individually or from oneor more continuous strips, from which individual labels are severed for application to the wrapped loaves. Although my inventionis applicable to machines in which the labels arefe'd individuall-y, the embodiment shown in the drawings is "better *adapted for use in machines which usethe :strip form. of label feeding, and numeral 4 2 indicates a strip of labels l3 threaded through my device in operative position for the scribing thereof. When labels l3 are fed to the scribing device in the form of a strip 12, the strip'is pulled through the scribing device by the label supplying means of packaging machine III. In this ease the scribing device performs the additional function of supplying just the right amount of tension to the strip of labels to insure smooth feeding and "insure proper sealing of thela'bels to thepacka-ges.

Numeral l4 indicates "a 'label guide channel.

This guide channel may be a normal part of the label supplying means for wrapping or packaging machine H, or it may be added in the path of the normal label supply means. In either case it is an integral part of scribing device [0. Guide channel l4 has means for supporting labels l3, such as bed portion l5, and means for guiding them along a fixed longitudinal path such as edge guides I6 on each side of bed portion l5.

Attached to either side of guide channel 14 are side plates I1 and I8 which serve to support and hold together the parts of scribing device l0.

Suitable supporting means are provided for mounting scribing device Ill on packaging machine H, which may take the form of support l9, consisting of a downwardly turned extension 2! of label guide channel It with flanged end 22 adapted to be fastened to packaging machine I! by screws 23; and of support 2%, consisting of a transverse toe joining the lowermost points of side plates I1 and [8, this toe or support simply resting on packaging machine I i.

There is a transverse opening 25, best seen in Fig. 4, in bed portion 15 which extends the full width of bed portion l5 between edge guides IE5.

Mounted below opening 25 is a scribing member 26 which is in this instance a scribing wheel. Scribing wheel 25 is adjustably mounted on a spindle 21 which is positioned transversely with respect to the fixed longitudinal path of labels along guide channel I l. Spindle 2'5 is mounted for free rotation in trunnion bearings 2t and 29 which are removably mounted in side plates I? and 18 respectively, as shown in Fig. 3.

As stated above, scribing member or wheel 26 is adjustably mounted on spindle 2i. The adjustment is along the spindle, that is transverse- 1y with respect to the fixed longitudinal path of the labels I3, and is provided for as follows. Spindle 21 is threaded, as indicated in Fig. 3. Permanently attached to one side of scribing Wheel 26, as by welding, is a nut 31 which is threaded to fit threaded spindle 2i. By this means scribing wheel 26 may be placed in any desired position along spindle 21. A look nut 32 on the other side of scribing wheel 25 provides means for clamping scribing wheel 25 in the desired position. Pivotally mounted on shaft 33, which is in turnmounted in side plates ll and I8, is an inking device 34 which includes an inked wick or pad 35 in contact with scribing wheel 26 as best shown in Fig. 4. Inking device 34 is mounted with center of gravity slightly offset with respect to shaft 33, with the lighter side in contact with wheel 25, so that inking device 34 is biased to engage the periphery of scribing wheel 26. A suitable slot 36 in side plate I3 provides means for removing and replacing inking device 34. This is convenient for shifting colors of ink, as well as for servicing.

Mounted above transverse opening 25 is a pressure roller 40, which is mounted on an axle 42 which fits in slots 4! in side plates i1 and i8 for free rotation about an axis parallel to that of spindle 27, and so mounted as to press labels l3 down against scribing wheel 26 as' indicated at 43 in Figure 4. Slots H provide convenient means for lifting or removing pressure roller when threading a strip of labels I? through the scribing device.

In operation the scribing wheel is adjusted to a selected transverse position and locked there. Then the labels l3, preferably in strip form 12, are fed face down through scribing device Ill.

4 Pressure roller 40 presses each label down against scribing wheel 26, which is inked by inking device 34, so that a line 50 is scribed across the label 13 in a predetermined area or position with respect to side edges 5!.

Labels [3 may or may not have identically placed, transversely disposed indicia 52 on each label. When labels is have such indicia thereon it is easier and more accurate to observe the transverse position of line 50.

As an example of the use of this device in the method of code-marking packaged bakery products according to this invention, by prearrangement the six letters of the word sliced may represent in sequence the days Monday through Saturday, and the prearranged code may provide that a scribed line be marked across the label immediately after the letter corresponding to the day of the week on which the product, bread in this instance, is packaged. In this instance the line 50 on Figure 5 would indicate that the bread in the package to which label [3 is affixed had been packaged on Wednesday.

Although in the drawing scribing wheel 26 has been shown as having a sharp printing periphery lying in one plane so as to make a continuous straight line such as 50, it will be understood that the printing periphery may have any desired configuration, so as to produce different kinds of scribe lines, such as dotted lines or wavy lines. Also any desired color of ink may be used. Such variations in character and color of the scribed line may be used to signify different kinds of data, and several kinds of data may be marked on the same label by using the required number of scribing wheels, which may be mounted in the same scribing device or, preferably, in separate scribing devices through which labels 13 are passed in sequence prior to being afiixed to the packaged product. Examples of other data which can be indicated in place of or in addition to date of packaging are batch number, order number and lot number.

The use of an inked scribing wheel is not essential to the invention, as any form of scribe marker may be used. It is possible to arrange the scribing member above the guide channel it. The scribing member may be mounted in other ways for transverse positioning with respect to the path of the labels. The pressure roller and scribing wheel may be power driven, and a belt feed may be used in place of bed portion [5; modifications such as these will normally be used when labels l3 are to be fed to the scribing device separated from each other. Numerous other variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

'It' will be obvious that the apparatus according to this invention is also suitable for scribemarking wrappers themselves in selected areas to indicate significant data, or for similarly code marking inserts for packaged products.

I claim:

1. A scribing device for labels adapted to apply a longitudinally disposed scribe mark along a predetermined line between the side edges of said label comprising, a supporting frame member, a guide channel mounted on said frame member, said guide channel including a bed portion and edge guides extending upwardly from each side of said bed portion for engaging the side edges of labels passing through said device and guiding said labels along a fixed longitudinal path, said bed portion being provided with a transverse opening extending between said edge guides, a

gravity actuated pressure bearing roller mounted on said supporting frame above said bed portion for maintaining labels in contact with said bed portion adjacent the opening therein, a scribing member positioned below said bed portion and extending into the opening provided therein for contacting labels moving over said bed portion between said edge guides, a support for said scribing member mounted on said supporting frame and positioned transversely to said edge guides,

said scribing member being movable on said support therefor transversely to said edge guides, and means for securing said scribing member to said support therefor at a predetermined point thereon whereby labels continuously fed longitudinally through said scribing device will be marked with a scribe mark determined line between the side edges thereof.

2. A scribing device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said longitudinally thereof, along a prescribing member consists of a narrow circular plate rotatably mounted on said sup- N port therefor and adapted to rotate in a plane coinciding with a longitudinal axis of the labels fed through said scribing device.

3. A scribing device as set forth in claim 2 wherein an elongated scriber inking means is pivotally mounted on said supporting frame below said scriber member, the mid-point of said inking means being disposed on the side of said pivotal mounting for said inking means remote from said scribing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,311,921 Simpson Aug. 5, 1919 1,476,206 Kitsee Dec. 4, 1923 1,626,401 Frantz Apr. 26, 1927 1,664,028 Foernsler Mar. 2'7, 1928 1,681,716 Webster Aug. 21, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 320,244 Germany Apr. 13, 1920 330,216

Germany Dec. 9, 1920 

